1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for mounting components onto substrates of an electrical assembly. In particular, the present invention relates to the mounting of electrical components onto printed circuit boards wherein the method and apparatus for mounting such components includes a compensating element that facilitates an optimal component mounting operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,946 discloses an apparatus for placing electrical components onto the surface of printed circuit boards. The apparatus includes a suction pipette tip that is spring mounted onto a retaining device. This spring-mounted feature results in a cushioning effect that provides the required contact pressure which is necessary for placing the components onto the substrate, while not damaging the electrical component.
However, the spring-mounted feature may not work as effectively when the electrical component is supplied or delivered to the mounting apparatus by a known component delivery or supply mechanism. During the delivery or supply of the components to the mounting apparatus, a substantial amount of force may be exerted onto the electrical component due to the spring-mounted feature of the retaining device which operates to retrieve the component from the delivery mechanism. This force may be so great that the electrical component is dropped from the retaining device, such as, a suction pipette. If an electrical component is dropped during the delivery of the electrical component to the mounting apparatus, the mounting operation of this specific electrical component must be repeated. In addition, the dropped electrical component would necessarily remain in the mounting apparatus and thus may fatally effect the operation of the mounting apparatus due to errors that may result in the movement of the mounting heads or substrates.